Colby–Sawyer College
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Colby–Sawyer College is a
private college Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...
in
New London, New Hampshire New London is a New England town, town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,400 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is the home of Colby–Sawyer College, site ...
, United States. It was founded as a
coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
academy in 1837 and sits on a campus.


History


New London Academy

A legislative charter was granted by the State of
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
in 1837 to eleven New London citizens for the purpose of establishing a school, the New London Academy, in the town. The eleven men who were named as the academy's incorporators were Joseph Colby, Anthony Colby, Perley Burpee, Jonathan Greeley, John Brown, Jonathan Herrick, David Everett, Samuel Carr, Walter Flanders, Jonathan Addison and Marshall Trayne. It was a coeducational secondary school, for which Susan Colby served as the first teacher and principal. It opened with a student body of 26 girls and one boy, but soon enrolled 54 male students. In 1858, the New Hampton Literary and Theological Institution moved to Fairfax, Vermont, and the New Hampshire
Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
, with encouragement from former Governor Anthony Colby and New London's Baptist minister, Ebenezer Dodge, assumed responsibility for the Academy. The name of the school was then changed to the New London Literary and Scientific Institute. The new Board of Trustees was made up of 24 members, three-fourths of whom had to be from New Hampshire but not from New London, and three-fourths of whom also had to be Baptists in good standing.


New London Literary and Scientific Institution

In 1854, the Ladies Boarding House (later called Heidelberg) was built on what is now the New London green to accommodate up to 40 female students and the female faculty. Anthony Colby also purchased the original New London town meeting house and moved it to campus, where it was renovated to provide 20 double rooms for the male students. The building is called Colby Hall. In 1870, a brick Academy building was dedicated, located on the present site of Colgate Hall. The building provided dormitory space for 100 female students as well as classrooms, laboratories, library, gymnastic facilities, chapel, dining room, kitchen and laundry facilities. It burned in 1892.


Colby Academy

The school was renamed again in 1878, becoming the Colby Academy, a tribute to the ongoing support of the Colby family of New London. Financed by Mary ("Mellie") Colgate, Colgate Hall was completed and dedicated in 1912, named in honor of the Colgate family whose members were dedicated supporters of the college. Colgate Hall housed female students, administrative offices, a library, dining room, kitchen, chapel, classrooms, and laundry. The male students continued to reside in Colby Hall. In 1922, H. Leslie Sawyer became headmaster of Colby Academy. He would lead the institution until 1955, leading its transition into a junior college.


Colby School for Girls to Colby Junior College for Women

After 90 years as a secondary school, Colby Academy trustees voted in 1927 to transform Colby Academy into a junior college and preparatory school for women. After this decision, the school changed names again in 1928, becoming the Colby School for Girls. In 1930, fourteen women received the first associate degrees conferred by the newly-renamed school. McKean Hall was built in 1930 and named for Horace G. McKean, Colby Academy's headmaster from 1899 to 1905. In 1931, Colby Hall was built, a residence hall named in honor of the Colby family. In 1931 Shepard Hall was built in honor of one of the original New London families who were trustees of the Academy and the College. In 1934 Burpee Hall was built, dedicated to the Burpee alumni, and trustees. The hall housed the library collection until 1949. In 1933, by an act of the New Hampshire Legislature, Colby School for Girls was changed to Colby Junior College for Women. The preparatory courses were phased out. On Oct. 18, 1941,
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...
visited the college and gave a speech to the community at the Baptist church. In 1943, the college charter was amended by the
New Hampshire General Court The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members, and the upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 me ...
to allow the granting of baccalaureate programs.


Colby–Sawyer College

The institution's board of trustees changed the name of the institution to Colby College-New Hampshire in 1973. In 1974, the unrelated
Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...
in
Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. A college town, the city is home to Colby College, a New England Small College Athletic Conference, NESCAC college, and Thomas College. As ...
filed a lawsuit arguing that the name change would cause confusion between the two. After an appeals court ruled in the Maine school's favor, the New Hampshire school announced in 1975 that it would become Colby Women's College, despite recently admitting several male students. The Maine Colby College filed a second lawsuit, saying that name would also cause confusion. U.S. District Court Judge Hugh Bownes again ruled in the Maine Colby's favor, saying it would effectively have "a veto over any name chosen in which Colby is the first word, except for the prior name of Colby Junior College for Women." The New Hampshire school then settled on Colby–Sawyer College, honoring the institution's longtime president H. Leslie Sawyer, who had died in 1972. The Windy Hill School, a child study lab school, was established in 1976 as a site for teacher internships and student practica. The Windy Hill School is now housed in the college's first building designed to be LEED silver certified (opened 2010) and remains one of the few lab schools in northern New England. In 1989, the board of trustees announced that Colby–Sawyer College would begin admitting male students beginning in the fall of 1990, returning the college to its coeducational roots. In 1990, the Ware Campus Center, formerly the Library-Commons building, was dedicated to Judge Martha Ware. In 1991 the Hogan Sports Center, dedicated to Daniel and Kathleen Hogan, and the Kelsey Tennis Courts opened; in 1994, Mercer Field was dedicated in honor of William and Ramona Mercer. In 1995, the Baker Communications Center was dedicated, named for Elbert H. Baker, distinguished in the communications industry and father of Martine Baker Anderson, a member of the Class of 1959. In 2004, the Curtis L. Ivey Science Center opened, and the student lodge was renamed the Lethbridge Lodge in honor of trustee and friend, George “Bud” Lethbridge. In fall 2010, Windy Hill School moved into its new building, and in summer 2011, Colby-Sawyer introduced online summer courses.


Presidents

H. Leslie Sawyer served as president until his retirement in 1955, followed by presidents Eugene M. Austin (1955–1962) and Everett M. Woodman (1962–1972). The college began its transition to a senior institution during the administration of Louis C. Vaccaro (1972–1978) and completed this change under the presidency of H. Nicholas Muller III (1978–1986). Peggy A. Stock (1986–1995), sixth president of the college, increased enrollment, completed a successful capital campaign, and constructed or renovated several buildings, including Rooke Hall. Anne Ponder became the seventh president of the college in March 1996; she extended the college's contiguous land holdings to , to build and dedicate Lawson Hall, and to enhance academic facilities and programs. Tom Galligan joined Colby–Sawyer College as its eighth president in August 2006. In July 2016, Galligan was succeeded by Susan Stuebner as the ninth president. She was succeeded by Dean McCurdy, who began his tenure at the college's 10th president June 1, 2025.


Academics


Academic departments

Colgate Hall * Business Administration *Exercise and Sport Sciences * Fine and Performing Arts *Natural and Environmental Studies * Humanities * School of Nursing and Health Professions * Social Sciences and Education


Special programs and services

* Air Force or Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) * Associate Degree in Liberal Arts * Capstone * Certificate Programs * Coaching Certification * Double majors and minors are available * Early Childhood Education (N-3) curriculum * First Year Seminar * Green Routes * Independent Studies * International Student Programs/English as a Second Language * Internships are required for all students * Learning and Tutorial Services * The New Hampshire College & University Council Student Exchange * Nursing Update Course * Online B.S. * Pre-Law curriculum * Pre-Medical curriculum * Pre-Physical Therapy curriculum * Pre-Veterinary curriculum * Research Assistantships * R.N. to B.S. in Nursing * ROTC * Study Abroad * Teaching Assistantships * Washington Internship Institute * Wesson Honors Program


Honor societies

*
Alpha Chi Alpha Chi National College Honor Society (or ) is an American collegiate honor society recognizing achievements in general scholarship. It was formed in 1922 by nineteen schools in Texas; however, the first official meeting to discuss the foundi ...
* Colby–Sawyer College Honor Society for Nursing *
Lambda Pi Eta Lambda Pi Eta () is an international communication studies honor society, associated with the National Communication Association (NCA). Lambda Pi Eta was established in 1984 at the University of Arkansas and has more than 500 active chapter. It is ...
*
Psi Chi Psi Chi () is a college student honor society in psychology with international outreach founded in 1929 at the University of Kansas in the United States. Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States, with more than 1,100 chap ...
*
Sigma Beta Delta Sigma Beta Delta () is an international scholastic honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in the fields of business, management, and administration. It was established in 1994 in La Jolla, California. History Sigma B ...
* Sigma Theta Tau


Accreditation

New England Association of Schools and College (
NEASC The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC ) is an American educational organization that Educational accreditation, accredits private and public secondary schools (high schools and technical/career institutions), primari ...
); Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP); commission Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); New Hampshire Board of Nursing; New Hampshire Board of Education.


Campus


Science Center and Library

The Curtis L. Ivey Science Center opened in September 2004. The building houses the Community and Environmental Studies and Biology Programs, as well as faculty in the Natural Sciences Department. The Center includes Clements Hall, the 182 seat auditorium, and the geographic information systems (GIS) laboratory.


Campus initiatives

* Adventures in Learning * Green Routes * The New Hampshire Women's Caucus * Teaching Enrichment Center * Quantitative Literacy Across the Curriculum


Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives

In addition to institutional records, the Archives maintains the college's Special Collections which consists of rare books as well as manuscript collections of notable men and women from New Hampshire, including the late New Hampshire Congressman James C. Cleveland's papers and the Pillsbury Family papers.


Athletics

The Colby-Sawyer athletics program consists of intercollegiate, club, intramural and recreational sports. Colby–Sawyer College competes as an
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division III institution, and is a member of the
Great Northeast Athletic Conference The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). History Chronological timeline * 1995 – In 1995, th ...
(GNAC), the
Eastern College Athletic Conference The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 15 sports (13 men's and 13 women's). It has 220 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from ...
(ECAC), the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association ( EISA) and the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA). From 1995 to 2011, Colby-Sawyer competed as a member of the
Commonwealth Coast Conference The Conference of New England (CNE), formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), is an List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division ...
(CCC). In 2018-19, Colby-Sawyer left the NAC to become members of the
Great Northeast Athletic Conference The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). History Chronological timeline * 1995 – In 1995, th ...
(GNAC). Colby-Sawyer offers the following varsity men's sports: alpine skiing, baseball, basketball, cross-country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, lacrosse, soccer and tennis. Colby-Sawyer offers the following varsity women's sports: alpine skiing, basketball, cross-country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. Colby-Sawyer offers one co-ed sport: equestrian. In 1989, the equestrian team won the IHSA national hunt-seat championship. Active club sports at CSC are cycling, golf, ice hockey, outing club, men's and women's rugby, cross country running, snowboarding, softball, men's lacrosse, and fencing. Intramurals include Flag Football, Co-Rec Volleyball, 3 on 3 Basketball, and Fall Golf, 5 on 5 Basketball, Floor Hockey, Co-Rec Dodgeball, Co-Rec Indoor Soccer, and Spring Golf.


Notable alumni and faculty

* John H. Bartlett (1869–1952), teacher, high school principal, lawyer, author and
governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...
* John Q. A. Brackett (1842–1918), 36th
governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...
* Cabell Breckinridge (1788–1823), lawyer, legislator, Speaker of the House and Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky * Hilary Cleveland, professor of history and political science at Colby-Sawyer for more than 50 years; Republican activist who endorsed
Howard Dean Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, consultant, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 20 ...
in 2004 * Shepard B. Clough (1901–1990), professor of European history at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
* Anthony Colby (1792–1873), businessman and governor of New Hampshire * Nate Corddry (b. 1977), television and film actor * Tomie dePaola (1934–2020), children's book author and illustrator, worked at Colby-Sawyer as an associate professor, designer, and technical director in the speech and theater department and as writer and set and costume designer for the Children's Theatre Project * David Elliott (b. 1947), children's author, taught
creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes beyond the boundaries of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on craft and technique, such as narrative structure, character ...
, adolescent literature and
playwriting A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Ben Jonson coined the term "playwright" ...
at Colby-Sawyer from 1998-2013; also served as director of International Student Services * Tom Galligan (b. 1955), professor of law; eighth president of Colby-Sawyer * William H. Gilmore (1839–1910), Vermont farmer, businessman, soldier, legislator, and Adjutant General of the state militia * Julien J. LeBourgeois (1923–2012), former
vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
and
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
of the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
who became a student at Colby-Sawyer after he retired * Charles Henry Morrill (1843–1928), Nebraska businessman and land speculator after whom
Morrill County, Nebraska Morrill County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 4,555. Its county seat is Bridgeport. In the Nebraska license plate system, Morrill County is represented by the prefix 64 (it ...
, is named * Daniel L. Plumer (1837–1920), Wisconsin businessman and politician * Martha Ware (1917–2009), Massachusetts lawyer, legislator and judge; graduated from Colby-Sawyer with an
associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...
in secretarial science *
Benjamin Ide Wheeler Benjamin Ide Wheeler (July 15, 1854– May 2, 1927) was a professor of Greek and comparative philology at Cornell University, writer, and President of the University of California from 1899 to 1919. Life and career Early years Benjamin ...
(1854–1927),
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
and
comparative philology Comparative linguistics is a branch of historical linguistics that is concerned with comparing languages to establish their historical relatedness. Genetic relatedness implies a common origin or proto-language and comparative linguistics aim ...
professor; later president of the
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...


References


External links

*
Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colby-Sawyer College 1837 establishments in New Hampshire Universities and colleges established in 1837 Universities and colleges in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Private universities and colleges in New Hampshire Liberal arts colleges in New Hampshire New London, New Hampshire